Again, thanks to Schalk Cloete for contributing with the climate change posts! Here is number 5:
What really scares me is the sheer number of these things. Here are just a few: Melting polar ice increasing heat absorption, collapse of the Amazon rainforest causing massive CO2 emissions, thawing of Siberian permafrost releasing megatons of methane, deep-sea methane hydrates exploding to the surface, and anoxic oceans releasing further (poisonous and flammable) greenhouse gasses.
Each of these tipping points kick in at a different level of temperature rise and it is theorized that, once we cross enough of these tipping points, it will set off a self-strengthening cascade into oblivion. For example, the total collapse of the Amazon is projected at 3 degrees, which will push us over the Siberian permafrost tipping point, which will push us over the methane hydrate tipping point, which is projected to cause nothing short of a global cataclysm.
Enjoy the attached video of reasons to avoid all of this. The video also contains a very apt description of Homo sapiens: "A species fast in developing, but slow in maturing."
We really need to grow up…
